Data from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development points to 41 countries as having tax-haven status according to four criteria.
The four criteria are: insignificant or non-existent tax levels, absence of transparency in tax matters, absence of fiscal data exchange with other countries and attractiveness for straw companies with fictitious activities.
Some jurisdictions have taken steps to boost transparency in their dealings with the OECD, which seeks to coordinate economic policies among the world’s leading industrialised nations.
Others, notably Liechtenstein, Andora and Monaco, exchange no information with other states.
However, of the total, 38 countries have made commitments to the OECD to ensure transparency and to exchange data:
1. Anguilla
2. Antigua and Barbuda
3. Dutch Antilles
4. Aruba
5. The Bahamas
6. BahreÐn
7. Barbados
8. Belize
9. Bermuda
10. Cyprus
11. Dominica
12. Gibraltar
13. Grenada
14. Guernesey
15. Cayman Islands
16. Cook Islands
17. Isle of Man
18. Marshall Islands
19. Mauritious
20. British Virgin Islands
21. US Virgin Islands
22. Jersey
23. Liberia
24. Maldives
25. Malta
26. Montserrat
27. Nauru
28. Niue
29. Panama
30. Samoa
31. Saint Kitts et Nevis
32. Sainta Lucia
33. Saint Martin
34. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
35. Seychelles
36. Tonga
37. Turks et Caicos
38. Vanuatu
The OECD has labelled three states as non-cooperative
1. Andorra
2. Liechtenstein
3. Monaco
Source: AFP
Friday, February 29, 2008
41 countries are tax havens
Data from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development points to 41 countries as having tax-haven status according to four criteria.
The four criteria are: insignificant or non-existent tax levels, absence of transparency in tax matters, absence of fiscal data exchange with other countries and attractiveness for straw companies with fictitious activities.
Some jurisdictions have taken steps to boost transparency in their dealings with the OECD, which seeks to coordinate economic policies among the world’s leading industrialised nations.
Others, notably Liechtenstein, Andora and Monaco, exchange no information with other states.
However, of the total, 38 countries have made commitments to the OECD to ensure transparency and to exchange data:
1. Anguilla
2. Antigua and Barbuda
3. Dutch Antilles
4. Aruba
5. The Bahamas
6. BahreÐn
7. Barbados
8. Belize
9. Bermuda
10. Cyprus
11. Dominica
12. Gibraltar
13. Grenada
14. Guernesey
15. Cayman Islands
16. Cook Islands
17. Isle of Man
18. Marshall Islands
19. Mauritious
20. British Virgin Islands
21. US Virgin Islands
22. Jersey
23. Liberia
24. Maldives
25. Malta
26. Montserrat
27. Nauru
28. Niue
29. Panama
30. Samoa
31. Saint Kitts et Nevis
32. Sainta Lucia
33. Saint Martin
34. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
35. Seychelles
36. Tonga
37. Turks et Caicos
38. Vanuatu
The OECD has labelled three states as non-cooperative
1. Andorra
2. Liechtenstein
3. Monaco
Source: AFP
The four criteria are: insignificant or non-existent tax levels, absence of transparency in tax matters, absence of fiscal data exchange with other countries and attractiveness for straw companies with fictitious activities.
Some jurisdictions have taken steps to boost transparency in their dealings with the OECD, which seeks to coordinate economic policies among the world’s leading industrialised nations.
Others, notably Liechtenstein, Andora and Monaco, exchange no information with other states.
However, of the total, 38 countries have made commitments to the OECD to ensure transparency and to exchange data:
1. Anguilla
2. Antigua and Barbuda
3. Dutch Antilles
4. Aruba
5. The Bahamas
6. BahreÐn
7. Barbados
8. Belize
9. Bermuda
10. Cyprus
11. Dominica
12. Gibraltar
13. Grenada
14. Guernesey
15. Cayman Islands
16. Cook Islands
17. Isle of Man
18. Marshall Islands
19. Mauritious
20. British Virgin Islands
21. US Virgin Islands
22. Jersey
23. Liberia
24. Maldives
25. Malta
26. Montserrat
27. Nauru
28. Niue
29. Panama
30. Samoa
31. Saint Kitts et Nevis
32. Sainta Lucia
33. Saint Martin
34. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
35. Seychelles
36. Tonga
37. Turks et Caicos
38. Vanuatu
The OECD has labelled three states as non-cooperative
1. Andorra
2. Liechtenstein
3. Monaco
Source: AFP
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Wataniya Telecom posts KD 80.7m net profit for 2007
Wataniya Telecom (National Mobile Telecommunications Company ) announced its 2007 financial results with the company posting a consolidated net profit of KD 80.7 million ($294.1 million) for the year or 177 fils (65 cents) per share, an increase of 50 percent compared to KD 53.3 million ($194.1 million), or 118 fils (43 cents) per share earned in the same period for 2006, excluding the Asia-cell operation.
Sheikh Abdullah Bin Mohammed Bin Saud Al-Thani, Chairman of Wataniya Telecom commented, ""We have achieved very good results in 2007 due to the combined efforts of the Group. Our profits distribution for this year is aligned with Wataniya's strategic vision which includes increased investment in technologies and strategic expansion".
He further added, "We are aware of the increasing importance of the telecommunications industry and we are confident that we can deliver the excellent services that customers demand. Therefore, we are working hard to strengthen our strategy by investing more in the latest technologies which are at the core of our current and forthcoming products and services".
Group Highlights
* Total active customers increased to 9,542,055 versus 7,252,570 at the end of 2006, an increase of 32 percent.
* Revenues for the year grew to KD 407.6 million ($1.5 billion), an increase of 26 percent compared to revenues of KD 323.5 million ($1.2 billion).
* EBITDA grew KD 161.2 million ($587.2 million), an increase of 27 percent, compared to an EBITDA of KD 126.8 million ($461.7 million) for the year 2006.
* Consolidated earnings per share are 177 fils for the year 2007.
* All comparative figures are excluding Asia-Cell operational results.
Wataniya Telecom's customer base increased to 1,197,688 active customers. Revenues for the year 2007 were KD 212.2 million ($772.7 million) compared to KD 178.5 million ($650.0 million) at the end of 2006. EBITDA for the year 2007 was KD 107.9 million ($393.0 million), or a 51 percent EBITDA margin, compared to KD 85.2 million ($310.3 million), a 47.7 percent margin for the year 2006. Net profit for the year 2007 was KD 87.7 million ($319.4 million), compared to KD 63.8 million ($232.5 million) for the yea
r 2006.
Tunisia: Tunisiana finished the period with 3,651,813 customers. Revenues for the year 2007 were KD 80.6 million ($293.6 million), an increase of 20 percent from year 2006 or KD 67.1 million ($244.2 million). EBITDA was KD 40.2 million ($146.5 million), an increase of 32 percent compared to KD 30.5 million ($111.2 million), for the year 2006. The net attributable profit to Wataniya Telecom in year 2007 is KD 12.9 million ($ 47.1 million) as compared to KD 8.8 million ($32.0 million) in the year 2006. Wata
niya accounts for Tunisiana on the 50 percent proportionate consolidation method.
Algeria: Nedjma closed the period with 4,535,983 subscribers. Revenues for the year 2007 were KD 101.7 million ($370.5 million) an increase of 38 percent compared to KD 73.9 million ($269.0 million) in the year 2006. EBITDA was KD 23.3 million ($84.8 million) increase of 55 percent compared to KD 15.0 million ($51.3) in year 2006 and the net attributable loss to Wataniya Telecom in year 2007 is KD 9.7 million ($35.2 million) compared to a loss of KD 11.9 million ($ 41 million) in year 2006.
Saudi Arabia: Bravo subscribers reach 91,841 at the end of year 2007. Revenues for the year 2007 were KD 8.5 million ($30.9 million). The net attributable loss to Wataniya Telecom in year 2007 is KD 6.3 million ($23.0 million).
Maldives: Total customers at the year end 2007 were 64,730. Revenues for the year 2007 were KD 4.6 million ($16.8 million) compared to KD 4.1 million ($15.1 million) at the end of 2006.The net attributable loss to Wataniya telecom in 2007 is KD 4.0 million ($14.4 million) compared to KD 3.5 million ($12.7 million) in year 2006.
Iraq: The regulatory authorities in Iraq did not renew Asia-Cell's GSM licence after 31st December 2006, as a result the majority of shareholder of Asia-Cell (a company incorporated in Cayman Islands) filed for voluntary liquidation of Asia-Cell in Grand Court of Cayman Islands.
Further to the appointment of liquidator and submission of arguments of the case, it was agreed to enter into an Asset Sale agreement to dispose the net assets of Asia-Cell to Asia-Cell LLC, a newly formed company. Since then, the sale has been completed and as per liquidators report dated 21st September 2007, the liquidator has offered NMTC $ 107 million being the NMTC's share for the total net assets of Asia-Cell amounting to $225 million. The Board of Directors of NMTC have decided to accept the offered
price of $107 million consisting of $90 million, that will be distributed as a dividend distribution to NMTC and the remaining $17 million represents the settlement of a debt due to NMTC by Asia-Cell.
The $90 million (KD 25.3 million) receivable from the liquidator represents a return of 227 percent over 4 years horizon, based upon the initial investment of $ 27.5 million (KD 7.7 million).
Source: kuwaittimes.net
Sheikh Abdullah Bin Mohammed Bin Saud Al-Thani, Chairman of Wataniya Telecom commented, ""We have achieved very good results in 2007 due to the combined efforts of the Group. Our profits distribution for this year is aligned with Wataniya's strategic vision which includes increased investment in technologies and strategic expansion".
He further added, "We are aware of the increasing importance of the telecommunications industry and we are confident that we can deliver the excellent services that customers demand. Therefore, we are working hard to strengthen our strategy by investing more in the latest technologies which are at the core of our current and forthcoming products and services".
Group Highlights
* Total active customers increased to 9,542,055 versus 7,252,570 at the end of 2006, an increase of 32 percent.
* Revenues for the year grew to KD 407.6 million ($1.5 billion), an increase of 26 percent compared to revenues of KD 323.5 million ($1.2 billion).
* EBITDA grew KD 161.2 million ($587.2 million), an increase of 27 percent, compared to an EBITDA of KD 126.8 million ($461.7 million) for the year 2006.
* Consolidated earnings per share are 177 fils for the year 2007.
* All comparative figures are excluding Asia-Cell operational results.
Wataniya Telecom's customer base increased to 1,197,688 active customers. Revenues for the year 2007 were KD 212.2 million ($772.7 million) compared to KD 178.5 million ($650.0 million) at the end of 2006. EBITDA for the year 2007 was KD 107.9 million ($393.0 million), or a 51 percent EBITDA margin, compared to KD 85.2 million ($310.3 million), a 47.7 percent margin for the year 2006. Net profit for the year 2007 was KD 87.7 million ($319.4 million), compared to KD 63.8 million ($232.5 million) for the yea
r 2006.
Tunisia: Tunisiana finished the period with 3,651,813 customers. Revenues for the year 2007 were KD 80.6 million ($293.6 million), an increase of 20 percent from year 2006 or KD 67.1 million ($244.2 million). EBITDA was KD 40.2 million ($146.5 million), an increase of 32 percent compared to KD 30.5 million ($111.2 million), for the year 2006. The net attributable profit to Wataniya Telecom in year 2007 is KD 12.9 million ($ 47.1 million) as compared to KD 8.8 million ($32.0 million) in the year 2006. Wata
niya accounts for Tunisiana on the 50 percent proportionate consolidation method.
Algeria: Nedjma closed the period with 4,535,983 subscribers. Revenues for the year 2007 were KD 101.7 million ($370.5 million) an increase of 38 percent compared to KD 73.9 million ($269.0 million) in the year 2006. EBITDA was KD 23.3 million ($84.8 million) increase of 55 percent compared to KD 15.0 million ($51.3) in year 2006 and the net attributable loss to Wataniya Telecom in year 2007 is KD 9.7 million ($35.2 million) compared to a loss of KD 11.9 million ($ 41 million) in year 2006.
Saudi Arabia: Bravo subscribers reach 91,841 at the end of year 2007. Revenues for the year 2007 were KD 8.5 million ($30.9 million). The net attributable loss to Wataniya Telecom in year 2007 is KD 6.3 million ($23.0 million).
Maldives: Total customers at the year end 2007 were 64,730. Revenues for the year 2007 were KD 4.6 million ($16.8 million) compared to KD 4.1 million ($15.1 million) at the end of 2006.The net attributable loss to Wataniya telecom in 2007 is KD 4.0 million ($14.4 million) compared to KD 3.5 million ($12.7 million) in year 2006.
Iraq: The regulatory authorities in Iraq did not renew Asia-Cell's GSM licence after 31st December 2006, as a result the majority of shareholder of Asia-Cell (a company incorporated in Cayman Islands) filed for voluntary liquidation of Asia-Cell in Grand Court of Cayman Islands.
Further to the appointment of liquidator and submission of arguments of the case, it was agreed to enter into an Asset Sale agreement to dispose the net assets of Asia-Cell to Asia-Cell LLC, a newly formed company. Since then, the sale has been completed and as per liquidators report dated 21st September 2007, the liquidator has offered NMTC $ 107 million being the NMTC's share for the total net assets of Asia-Cell amounting to $225 million. The Board of Directors of NMTC have decided to accept the offered
price of $107 million consisting of $90 million, that will be distributed as a dividend distribution to NMTC and the remaining $17 million represents the settlement of a debt due to NMTC by Asia-Cell.
The $90 million (KD 25.3 million) receivable from the liquidator represents a return of 227 percent over 4 years horizon, based upon the initial investment of $ 27.5 million (KD 7.7 million).
Source: kuwaittimes.net
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Anita Sharan Interview column: Indian warmth, Western systems
Malaysia, India, Pakistan & Maldives, Marriott International, has spent his entire career in the hospitality industry, including a good number of years in Australia. He talks to Anita Sharan about his learnings across different markets that help him face the typical challenges of his responsibility. At 40, Menon is as excited about his job as he was when he started his career with the ITC Group of Hotels in Delhi.
What keeps you feeling fresh and excited about your job?
It's my passion for the hotel business and the fact that given the different challenges I face in the markets I look after, I often have to think totally from zero up.
What is your most important learning from across your diverse market experiences?
India has taught me true hospitality -- drawing from its cultural value of a genuine love for guests. Australia, where I worked for many years, has taught me effective cost and resource management. Both are important in the hospitality business. Malaysia combines them well.
In the island of Maldives, however, we have to manage our own electricity generation and shipping of products. However, Indian hospitality far outperforms that in many other countries.
How does your mix of experiences help you handle such diverse challenges?
My learnings of both hospitality and efficient systems help me manage both sides of the challenges more effectively. In Australia, a person is your customer only when he reaches your hotel. In India, customer management has to be done in a larger environment, maybe starting at the point he lands in a city -- given India's travel and infrastructure challenges.
Here, you spend almost 40 per cent of your time managing the outside.
Are there any other management differences that are challenging?
In the West, including Australia, most hotel owning groups are institutions and corporations. In India, most hotel entities are owned- or family-based businesses that are only now going through a metamorphosis and becoming corporations.
A financial institution's management style is bottomline-driven. The product must be well presented in the market and meet all compliance issues. With ownership businesses, touch and feel and creating engagement through experiences are very important. For Marriott, which manages the hotels, the challenge is always how to meet owner expectations while maintaining the product best.
Are there any changes occurring in India along global lines?
Ownerships of hotels have become more a part of a diverse portfolio in India and the owners are now working well with the professional managers. Perspectives in service have also shifted to align better with global standards, though attaining greater efficiencies in the business model along international lines is still in process.
What about the Indian customer?
The domestic customer of today is extremely well-travelled, creating a shift in expectations. This is getting reflected in what we offer -- technology, for example. Earlier, it was about internet access. Today, it is about internet and wi-fi. So, in our full-service Indian properties, we're working on installing the Jackpack in every room -- a console above your writing desk that splits your TV screen into two halves for entertainment and computer usage.
We go into refurbishment phases every five-six years. Adoption of such technology is sensible in India for us for the next refurbishment cycle starting early next year. Missing a cycle can mean missing a big opportunity.
Source: tradingmarkets.com
What keeps you feeling fresh and excited about your job?
It's my passion for the hotel business and the fact that given the different challenges I face in the markets I look after, I often have to think totally from zero up.
What is your most important learning from across your diverse market experiences?
India has taught me true hospitality -- drawing from its cultural value of a genuine love for guests. Australia, where I worked for many years, has taught me effective cost and resource management. Both are important in the hospitality business. Malaysia combines them well.
In the island of Maldives, however, we have to manage our own electricity generation and shipping of products. However, Indian hospitality far outperforms that in many other countries.
How does your mix of experiences help you handle such diverse challenges?
My learnings of both hospitality and efficient systems help me manage both sides of the challenges more effectively. In Australia, a person is your customer only when he reaches your hotel. In India, customer management has to be done in a larger environment, maybe starting at the point he lands in a city -- given India's travel and infrastructure challenges.
Here, you spend almost 40 per cent of your time managing the outside.
Are there any other management differences that are challenging?
In the West, including Australia, most hotel owning groups are institutions and corporations. In India, most hotel entities are owned- or family-based businesses that are only now going through a metamorphosis and becoming corporations.
A financial institution's management style is bottomline-driven. The product must be well presented in the market and meet all compliance issues. With ownership businesses, touch and feel and creating engagement through experiences are very important. For Marriott, which manages the hotels, the challenge is always how to meet owner expectations while maintaining the product best.
Are there any changes occurring in India along global lines?
Ownerships of hotels have become more a part of a diverse portfolio in India and the owners are now working well with the professional managers. Perspectives in service have also shifted to align better with global standards, though attaining greater efficiencies in the business model along international lines is still in process.
What about the Indian customer?
The domestic customer of today is extremely well-travelled, creating a shift in expectations. This is getting reflected in what we offer -- technology, for example. Earlier, it was about internet access. Today, it is about internet and wi-fi. So, in our full-service Indian properties, we're working on installing the Jackpack in every room -- a console above your writing desk that splits your TV screen into two halves for entertainment and computer usage.
We go into refurbishment phases every five-six years. Adoption of such technology is sensible in India for us for the next refurbishment cycle starting early next year. Missing a cycle can mean missing a big opportunity.
Source: tradingmarkets.com
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Family holidays: Game Boys v snorkels
It takes a lot to keep children and gadgets apart. Ian Henderson flies his family to the Maldives to see what cartoon lizards and a regiment of Indian Ocean marine life can do.
As experimental labs go, it could be worse. The floor is white sand, the walls and ceiling a range of fetching blues and it’s fully equipped with loungers, palm trees and waiters bearing chilled drinks. The ideal scientific facilities, in fact, for the challenging research we are about to conduct – to establish just what kind of holiday it takes for the modern child to willingly forsake his or her Game Boy.
Clearly, not just any old holiday will do. From experience, a wet weekend in Norfolk means more Game Boy, not less, and an outward-bound trek beyond the limits of civilisation wouldn’t be fair on gadgets or children. (Nowhere to charge the Game Boy, for a start.)
So, with the necessary gadgets and games provided by a thoughtful Santa, we find ourselves in the Maldives, notebook in one hand and nicely-judged mojito in the other, attentively observing our research subjects (Children A, B and C). Someone has to do it. [Read more on telegraph]
Maldives' commander of national defence force meets Sri Lanka Army Chief
Commander of the Maldives National Defence Force, Major General Mohamed Zahir met with Army Chief Lieutenant General Sarath Fonseka at the army headquarters in Colombo this morning.
Sri Lanka Armoured Corps offered a guard of honour and welcomed the Maldives’ defence chief.
The two commanders held discussions over the security situations of the two countries. Maldives’ commander expressed his gratitude to army chief for training Maldives’ cadets even when Sri Lanka army is fully engaged in a war against terrorism.
Source: colombopage.comThursday, February 21, 2008
Supermodel pictured as she returns home from Maldives
Kate Moss has been showing off a pair of very knobbly knees.
The supermodel was out for lunch in Soho, London, yesterday with her boyfriend – The Kills star Jamie Hince, 39 – when she was snapped with her bony legs.
The couple have just returned from a holiday in the Maldives.
Kate celebrated her 34th birthday earlier this year. Could it be that age is finally taking its toll on her figure?
Source: nowmagazine.co.uk
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
World's Longest-Serving Leaders
A look at the world's longest-serving leaders, excluding monarchies:
_President Fidel Castro of Cuba rose to power Jan. 1, 1959. Aged 81 and suffering health problems, Castro says he will not accept a new term when parliament meets Sunday.
_Omar Bongo ascended to Gabon's presidency Dec. 2, 1967, after his predecessor's death. In his 70s, Bongo faces little political opposition in oil-rich West African nation of 1.5 million.
_Moammar Gadhafi of Libya took power through a Sept. 1, 1969, military coup in the oil-producing North African nation of 6 million people. In his 60s.
_Maldives President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, in his late 60s, came to power Nov. 11, 1978, in the Indian Ocean island nation of 370,000.
_Teodoro Obiang of Equatorial Guinea, in his mid-60s, seized power in the oil-producing West African nation of 500,000 citizens in Aug. 3, 1979, coup.
_Angola's Jose Eduardo dos Santos took power Sept. 21, 1979, after winning election under one-party system then governing the oil-producing southern Africa nation of 12 million. In his 60s.
_Robert Mugabe has been only leader of Zimbabwe's 12 million people since April 18, 1980, independence from Britain. In his 80s.
Sources: The Associated Press, CIA World Factbook, Carnegie Endowment for International PeaceEnergy Minister welcomes first gas-powered car in Maldives
The Minister of Environment, Energy and Water Ahmed Abdulla has welcomed the fact that Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) was being used to power a taxi for the first time in Maldives.
According to a statement issued by the Ministry, the Minister had met with the owner of the taxi, Gasim Latheef, and the people who had converted the taxi’s engine to be able to use gas, Ahmed Naeem and Mumin Areef of Auto Gas. At the meeting the Minister had said that their work had opened the doors towards producing environment friendly energy and reducing fossil fuel consumption.
The statement said that the Minister had said that the fact that private parties were interested in such endeavors was a very positive and important contribution and promised that the Government would offer whatever aid was needed to develop such actions. The Minister said that Naeem and Areef’s work was of historical significance and would be very beneficial to the Maldives, according to the statement.
The Energy Ministry’s statement also said that they were researching ways to increase the use of gas-powered vehicles and regulate its use.
“The number of gas-fuelled vehicles is increasing all over the world,” the statement said. “This will also have the additional benefits of lowering the cost of oil and bring air-pollution by exhaust fumes to a complete stop. Countries such as Malaysia, Thailand, India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and even other developed countries are now using gas to power their vehicles.”
The Ministry also said that boats and other such sea-going vessels can use LPG.
Source: haveeru.com.mv
Monday, February 18, 2008
Singapore firm buys The World's Nova Island
Singapore based firm Cinnovation Group has purchased Nova Island, part of Nakheel’s The World manmade islands project, and intends to build a $200 million resort and spa on the development.
Varun Chaudhary, director of Cinnovation’s Dubai operations, said on Monday that the project will be a private luxury retreat, offering both tourist and residential facilities. He did not reveal the island's purchase price.
Nova Island represents the northern Russian archipelago Novaya Zemlya, situated next to Russia and Serbia. The development will feature ocean front guest villas and fractional ownership residential villas.
The palm-thatched luxury guest villas will be built entirely over water, while the private residential villas will match the guest villas in architecture and location, he said.
Work on the 400,000 square foot island is expected to commence later this year.
Cinnovation Group already own resorts in Maldives, Sri Lanka and Malaysia, including its flagship Maldives property Taj Exotica Resort & Spa.
Islands on The World, located four kilometres offshore from Dubai, are being offered for sale on a freehold basis to selected investors, and are only accessible by marine or air transport.
The average price for an island ranges from $15 million to $50 million, but the total cost of developing an island is much higher as owners are expected to provide all necessary infrastructure. The most expensive island costs $263 million.
Around 50% of the 300 islands that make up The World have been sold so far. Some of The World islands represent countries, while others represent cities.
Nakheel, part of state-owned conglomerate Dubai World, has remained tight-lipped about many of the islands' owners, and numerous high-profile celebrities, businessman, royalty and sports stars have been linked with the development.
Source: arabianbusiness.com
Sunday, February 17, 2008
India calls for military alliance at naval summit
India called for an alliance of navies to boost security at sea at its first naval summit Thursday with nations that have a stake in the busy maritime lanes of the Indian Ocean.
Twenty-six representatives of navies from countries including Australia, Egypt, France and Sri Lanka are attending the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS), seen by experts as an effort by New Delhi to assert its strategic presence.
Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, launching the two-day event, said regional cooperation would help combat piracy and terrorism.
"Recent years have seen a rise in crimes such as terrorism, smuggling, including of narcotics, arms and weapons, and piracy and robbery," Singh said.
"The perpetrators of these crimes are well-organised and well-funded transnational crime syndicates who take full advantage of the vastness of the oceans. The need for cooperation among the navies of the region in preventing such crimes is therefore of paramount interest," he said.
"India remains committed to an Indian Ocean that is stable and peaceful," the prime minister said, calling for "the freedom of the seas for all nations... to deepen trade and economic links."
Indian naval chief admiral Sureesh Mehta called for a loose military alliance of regional navies to keep the busy sea lanes secure.
"The threats of intra-state turmoil as well as a variety of security threats that are short of state-on-state conflict, remain a grim reality, presenting a significant risk to peace and stability," Mehta told the summit.
India has offered an unofficial naval blockade of the waters around Sri Lanka and the Maldives to prevent Tamil guerrillas from smuggling arms onto the island to fuel their battle for a homeland.
"The threat from malevolent non-state actors presents a clear and present danger to not just one or some, but to all of us," Mehta said, without directly referring to the Sri Lankan conflict.
"(However) it is critical to ensure that whatever we plan and do flows from a broad consensus, with political backing, maritime commitment, and naval resolve," the chief of India's 137-ship navy added.
India during the 2004 tsunami spurned an unsolicited US offer to provide help to the thousands of victims and instead sent its own naval ships to Sri Lanka and Indonesia in a sign of its expanding reach.
Last September, India invited Australia, Japan, Singapore and the US for major joint naval exercises off the Andaman islands -- raising eyebrows in Pakistan and China.
The symposium will also focus on the war in Sri Lanka, notably the Tamil Tigers' continued weapons smuggling, diplomats said.
"This critical military crisis highlights the need for synergy among navies to keep the Indian Ocean free of pirates and gun-runners," a New Delhi-based diplomat said.
Uday Bhaskar, a former Indian naval commander, said the summit was a clear "attempt by India to enhance the credibility of its navy as a maritime power."
The summit will wind up on Friday with a closed-door conclave of the naval chiefs in the Indian seaside resort of Goa.
Source: AFP
Twenty-six representatives of navies from countries including Australia, Egypt, France and Sri Lanka are attending the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS), seen by experts as an effort by New Delhi to assert its strategic presence.
Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, launching the two-day event, said regional cooperation would help combat piracy and terrorism.
"Recent years have seen a rise in crimes such as terrorism, smuggling, including of narcotics, arms and weapons, and piracy and robbery," Singh said.
"The perpetrators of these crimes are well-organised and well-funded transnational crime syndicates who take full advantage of the vastness of the oceans. The need for cooperation among the navies of the region in preventing such crimes is therefore of paramount interest," he said.
"India remains committed to an Indian Ocean that is stable and peaceful," the prime minister said, calling for "the freedom of the seas for all nations... to deepen trade and economic links."
Indian naval chief admiral Sureesh Mehta called for a loose military alliance of regional navies to keep the busy sea lanes secure.
"The threats of intra-state turmoil as well as a variety of security threats that are short of state-on-state conflict, remain a grim reality, presenting a significant risk to peace and stability," Mehta told the summit.
India has offered an unofficial naval blockade of the waters around Sri Lanka and the Maldives to prevent Tamil guerrillas from smuggling arms onto the island to fuel their battle for a homeland.
"The threat from malevolent non-state actors presents a clear and present danger to not just one or some, but to all of us," Mehta said, without directly referring to the Sri Lankan conflict.
"(However) it is critical to ensure that whatever we plan and do flows from a broad consensus, with political backing, maritime commitment, and naval resolve," the chief of India's 137-ship navy added.
India during the 2004 tsunami spurned an unsolicited US offer to provide help to the thousands of victims and instead sent its own naval ships to Sri Lanka and Indonesia in a sign of its expanding reach.
Last September, India invited Australia, Japan, Singapore and the US for major joint naval exercises off the Andaman islands -- raising eyebrows in Pakistan and China.
The symposium will also focus on the war in Sri Lanka, notably the Tamil Tigers' continued weapons smuggling, diplomats said.
"This critical military crisis highlights the need for synergy among navies to keep the Indian Ocean free of pirates and gun-runners," a New Delhi-based diplomat said.
Uday Bhaskar, a former Indian naval commander, said the summit was a clear "attempt by India to enhance the credibility of its navy as a maritime power."
The summit will wind up on Friday with a closed-door conclave of the naval chiefs in the Indian seaside resort of Goa.
Source: AFP
Saturday, February 16, 2008
State of health worldwide is everyone's business
For millions of the world's poorest people, ill health too often goes hand in hand with grinding poverty and blunted national aspirations.
In looking for solutions to the troubling state of global health, evidence from developing countries shows that weak health systems are a significant roadblock to improving the health of their citizens.
If we are serious about fighting poverty, then improving the perilous health of millions of the poorest people must be a top priority of the global development community. At this vital halfway point to the 2015 Millennium Development Goals, stronger health systems are key to meeting these transformational targets.
On Saturday, Japan will host key groups and figures from around the world at its Global Health Summit (jointly organized by the Health Policy Institute Japan and the World Bank) for urgent talks on global health.
At the top of the agenda will be how we can better help poor countries to strengthen health systems. We look to Japan, which will be the chair of Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) and host of the G-8 Summit this July at Toyako, Hokkaido, to amplify the importance of global cooperation, and how everyone has a role to play--from governments and development agencies to the private sector and civil society. As the avian flu and SARS have dramatically shown, infectious diseases are part of our world.
Investment in health care and sound health policies are also essential contributors to a nation's economic growth, and an essential component of sustainable development and poverty reduction.
In today's globalized world, poverty in one part of the world affects us all. The Global Health Summit, under Japanese leadership, will remind us why the state of health worldwide is everyone's business.
While there is more health financing available to countries than ever before--as much as $14 billion (1.5 trillion yen) last year--much of it is earmarked for fighting priority diseases such as HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis and some vaccine-preventable diseases. But more attention is needed for maternal and child health, for nutrition and for family planning priorities.
And much more attention and resources are needed to help countries strengthen their own health systems to deliver essential services at the right time. In practical terms, strengthening health systems means putting together the right logistics that get life-saving drugs and health workers to where they are needed most, to mothers and their newborns whether in remote mountain villages or in crowded city neighborhoods.
Many existing aid programs for health care fail because they focus on a limited set of inputs needed to treat a particular disease, but they do not take into account all the supporting functions that are needed to deliver services and drugs to the people who need them.
With an increase in financing for global health, countries are also asking for greater accountability in how these additional resources are being used. In response, the global aid community is taking a new approach to project design, which focuses on "results-based financing." This approach links aid directly to verifiable results.
In Rwanda, for example, the World Bank is supporting a results-based financing project that enables local municipalities to pay incentives to public, private and NGO health-care providers who deliver basic health services and conduct health promotion programs to change behavior and offer preventive services that can be delivered at home (for example, distribution of bed nets and teaching about handwashing, nutrition and the use of safe water systems).
A recent evaluation found the use of bed nets for children aged 5 or under has increased from 4 percent in 2004 to more than 70 percent in 2007. As a result, the number of cases of malaria has decreased dramatically, emptying pediatric wards.
Thus, results-based financing links project financing directly with the desirable results--in this case, appropriate use of bed nets has reduced malaria cases among children--rather than relying on specific inputs.
There is deep concern in the global community that the maternal and child survival Millennium Development Goals will not be achieved without significantly improved performance and coordination by all stakeholders at national and global levels. And we all have much to learn from each other's successes and failures. Many solutions can be found in countries like Thailand, Cambodia, Ethiopia, Rwanda and the Maldives, which have achieved breakthroughs in primary health care within limited resources.
There is much to be gained by sharing experiences in a South-South dialogue, among neighboring countries and across regions. The occasion of Japan's Global Health Summit this month gives us an opportunity to breathe new life into our joint efforts to help developing countries achieve their Millennium Development Goals and ensure good health for all people, which is a best way to ensure inclusive and sustainable development in this global community.
Sea, sun and jihad
Islamist extremism rears its head in the tourist paradise
A RECORD number of tourists, some 650,000, visited the Maldives' upmarket and otherwise uninhabited island resorts last year. But from the populated parts of the Indian Ocean archipelago the news is more worrying. On a January visit to one of its 1,200 white sand and coral islands, President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom was rescued from a knife attack by a boy scout. The would-be assassin's shout of “Allahu Akbar!” was the latest evidence of growing Islamic extremism in the 350,000-strong nation of Sunni Muslims.Last September terrorists detonated a bomb in the capital Male's Sultan Park, injuring 12 tourists. Foreign concern mounted in November when a video posted on an al Qaeda-linked website called for more attacks. The almost simultaneous police revelation that the “masterminds” of the Sultan Park attack had received training in Pakistan heightened fears. But the Maldives government insists there is no evidence that international terror networks have infiltrated the country.
Instead it blames homegrown extremism. Scholars who studied in Pakistan and the Middle East in the 1980s and 1990s returned imbued with a conservative strain of Wahhabi Islam, and found the Maldives' young population receptive. In the past ten years more and more women have started wearing headscarves or burqas. Young men have tended to boycott government-licensed mosques.
The richest country in South Asia in terms of GDP per head, the Maldives has widespread internet access, in Male at least. “There is a tendency to imitate foreign terror groups, even if there are no formal links,” says Mohamed Nasheed, the information minister. The government long ignored these developments. Indeed, President Gayoom promoted Islam as the cornerstone of Maldivian national identity. The explosion in Sultan Park, however, led to promises of immediate action to defend the vital tourism industry.
But after 30 years of strong-arm one-man rule, Mr Gayoom is embattled. In 2003 street protests following a series of custodial killings almost toppled his regime, forcing him to promise democratic reforms. The country's first multi-party election is due this year.
With the president's future uncertain, his government has descended into tried and tested repression. The police have reacted with characteristic gusto to Mr Gayoom's call for a “no-nonsense” approach to extremism. The Maldivian Detainee Network, an activist group, says that more than 300 suspected religious dissidents have been detained since September. Men wearing the short trousers and long beards associated with Wahhabism are subject to random security checks. Most suspects have not reached the courts.
Attempts to impose a state-sponsored moderate Islam have fallen flat. The Supreme Council on Islamic Affairs, a scholars' body led by a Gayoom loyalist, has refused to ratify his ban on women veiling their entire body or to allow a fast track for the licensing of moderate preachers. With an eye on the election, the main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party has forged an alliance with the conservative religious Adhaalath Party, isolating the government politically.
Mr Nasheed complains that the reform process is impeding the government's ability to act decisively. But Mr Gayoom's high-handedness seems as much to blame for the failings of the counter-terrorism effort. Supreme Council rulings have been countered by ministerial decrees and political objections ignored. Denied access to legal recourse, religious radicals increasingly appear the victims of an arbitrary government. As elsewhere in South Asia, political uncertainty is providing a space in which Islamist extremism can grow.
Source: economist.com
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
New chapter in Lanka-Maldives ties
Maldivian President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom arrived in Sri Lanka on a two-day State visit yesterday, signifying a new chapter in the close relationship between the two SAARC nations.
President Gayoom and First Lady Nasrina Gayoom were warmly received at the Bandaranaike International Airport by President Mahinda Rajapaksa and First Lady Shiranthi Rajapaksa. He was then accorded a 21-Gun Salute and a Military Guard of Honour.
The Maldivian President was conferred the highest national honour of Sri Lanka Mithra Vibushana.
This award was conferred on a Foreign Head of State for the first time in Sri Lanka. It was based on the exceptional friendship and solidarity of the Maldivians with the people of Sri Lanka, and in recognition of President Gayoom's contribution to South Asian solidarity and regional cooperation, especially on issues pertaining to the environment.
Following the receipt of the prestigious award at a colourful ceremony at the Presidential Secretariat, President Gayoom said that the award was a fitting tribute to mark the special friendship and solidarity between the two countries and a great honour for the Maldives.
It speaks volumes of the ever-growing friendship and cooperation between the two countries, President Gayoom said.
"It is a lasting symbol of amity and good neighbourliness enjoyed between Sri Lanka and the Maldives, which have been linked by history, language, race and culture for centuries. I look forward to promote and foster further regional cooperation in global environmental issues as climate change, and work together for the betterment of our people.
I also look forward to the 15th SAARC Summit to be held in Sri Lanka," he added. The Maldivian delegation led by President Gayoom held bilateral talks with President Rajapaksa and officials on matters of mutual interest to both countries.
The Maldivian President was briefed on developments in Sri Lanka, including efforts to curb terrorism and find a political solution.
Two important agreements on the Transfer of Prisoners and Visa Waivers for the mutual benefit of both countries were signed at the Presidential Secretariat, by Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama and his Maldivian counterpart Abdullah Saheed.
Gayoom is due to hold talks with Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickramanayaka and Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama today.
Source: dailynews.lkUniversal Resorts keen to tap Indian outbound market
Maldives-based Universal Resorts held a roadshow in Bangalore recently to promote its resorts in the Indian market. The aim of such road shows, according to Shoumo Mukherjee, General Manager - Sales & Marketing, Universal Enterprises Pvt. Ltd., is to improve their distribution network in India. The company is planning a similar promotional activity in Delhi soon. It is also keen to promote its small 20-cabin cruise liner for island-hopping tours in Maldives.
"Currently Europe is our largest market accounting for 80 per cent of our business. However, we are keen to get more Indians to Maldives and chose Bangalore for the road show as there is a direct flight from Bangalore to Maldives. We want to promote the resorts to the corporates in Bangalore and for this we want to connect with the various implant agents who take care of the travel requirements of these corporates, especially incentive packages," informed Mukherjee.
Of the 11,000 tourists travelling to Maldives annually with an average stay of 11 nights, 7,000 are Indians. The company has resorts that offer value for money with tariff as low as USD 80 and luxury resorts with a minimum tariff of USD 600. According to Mukherjee, one of the key USPs of their resorts is that each one has a private beach accessible only to the guests. The resorts also offer a range of activities like snorkelling, fishing, sunset cruise, sailing, diving, island hopping and numerous water sports. The Group has seven properties in Maldives, one in Seychelles and one in Sri Lanka targeting couples and families.
Source:
SAARC CWE to hold seminar
The SAARC Chamber Women Entrepreneurs is holding a one-day seminar on ‘Global Opportunities, a boom for Women Entrepreneurs’ in New Delhi on February 13th, 2008.
Member delegates of the SAARC Chambers of Commerce and Industry (SAARC CCI) from Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Maldives, Bangladesh and Bhutan will attend seminar.
President SAARC CCI, Tariq Sayeed will be the chief guest of the seminar and he will also release activity report of Women entrepreneurs Council of SAARC Chamber. The subject of the seminar will highlight the SAARC’s emphasis on women empowerment in SAARC nations-facilitation of connectivity between nations and expanding opportunities in the world especially among SAARC nations-women should seize the opportunities available so that they can claim their rightful place in the development process and in society.
The seminar will also address the opportunities involve many aspects of entrepreneurship and its development such as banking, investment modes, raising capital and other resources etc.
It will also highlight the need for global outlook on such aspects and look for sourcing these from among the SAARC nations and elsewhere-need to know how and when to source them.
Source: dailytimes.com.pk
Member delegates of the SAARC Chambers of Commerce and Industry (SAARC CCI) from Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Maldives, Bangladesh and Bhutan will attend seminar.
President SAARC CCI, Tariq Sayeed will be the chief guest of the seminar and he will also release activity report of Women entrepreneurs Council of SAARC Chamber. The subject of the seminar will highlight the SAARC’s emphasis on women empowerment in SAARC nations-facilitation of connectivity between nations and expanding opportunities in the world especially among SAARC nations-women should seize the opportunities available so that they can claim their rightful place in the development process and in society.
The seminar will also address the opportunities involve many aspects of entrepreneurship and its development such as banking, investment modes, raising capital and other resources etc.
It will also highlight the need for global outlook on such aspects and look for sourcing these from among the SAARC nations and elsewhere-need to know how and when to source them.
Source: dailytimes.com.pk
Monday, February 11, 2008
India, Maldives sign agreement on science and technology
India and Maldives today signed a bilateral agreement on cooperation in the field of science and technology.
External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee and his Maldivian counterpart Abdulla Shahid were the signatories.
President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom also met Mukherjee to discuss and deliberate on various international issues.
Gayoom is also scheduled to hold high-level discussions with top Indian leaders including President Pratibha Patil and Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh.
Earlier in the day, President Gayoom had received a ceremonial reception at Rashtrapati Bhawan.
India and the Maldives enjoy cordial and multi-dimensional relations. They also share ethnic, linguistic, cultural and commercial links.
India was among the first to recognize Maldives and establish diplomatic relations after its independence in 1965.
Source: thaindian.com
India raises limit on export of river sand, stone to Maldives
India has increased the limit on export of construction materials - river sand by 30 per cent and stone aggregate by 95 per cent - to Maldives for the next financial year.
The government has hiked the shipment quantity of river sand (also known as construction sand) to 5.85 lakh tons for 2008-09 from 4.50 lakh tons in the current financial year, the Directorate General of Foreign Trade said in a notification.
The export quantity of stone aggregate has been increased to 5.26 lakh tons from 2.70 lakh tons.
However, export of river sand needs to be cleared by the Chemical and Allied Product Export Promotion Council (CAPEXIL).
The notification specified that the mining of sand meant for export should not be undertaken in the prohibited coastal regulation zone area.
Maldives relies heavily on imports, of which 10 to 11 per cent go from India.
Minister of State for Commerce Jairam Ramesh had said at Male on January 31 that non-tariff barriers between India and SAARC countries, including Maldives should be removed.
As a part of this exercise, India has already allowed release of 20,000 tons of rice, 17,000 tons of sugar and other items to Maldives.
Source: economictimes.indiatimes.com
The government has hiked the shipment quantity of river sand (also known as construction sand) to 5.85 lakh tons for 2008-09 from 4.50 lakh tons in the current financial year, the Directorate General of Foreign Trade said in a notification.
The export quantity of stone aggregate has been increased to 5.26 lakh tons from 2.70 lakh tons.
However, export of river sand needs to be cleared by the Chemical and Allied Product Export Promotion Council (CAPEXIL).
The notification specified that the mining of sand meant for export should not be undertaken in the prohibited coastal regulation zone area.
Maldives relies heavily on imports, of which 10 to 11 per cent go from India.
Minister of State for Commerce Jairam Ramesh had said at Male on January 31 that non-tariff barriers between India and SAARC countries, including Maldives should be removed.
As a part of this exercise, India has already allowed release of 20,000 tons of rice, 17,000 tons of sugar and other items to Maldives.
Source: economictimes.indiatimes.com
India Rejects Binding Committment to Cut Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh says India will ensure that its per capita emissions of greenhouse gases never exceed those of developed countries.
Since the country's per capita emissions are far below those of richer countries, that essentially means that India will not commit to reducing carbon dioxide emissions, which many people see as key to slowing climate change.
Prime Minister Singh was addressing a conference on sustainable development in New Delhi Thursday. He says India still needs to pull vast sections of its population out of poverty.
"I am sure participants at this summit will endorse India's stand because you are all concerned about poverty eradication and reducing global disparities in income and wealth. We cannot continue with a global development model where some countries continue to maintain high carbon emissions while the development of options available for developing countries get constrained," said Mr. Singh. "We therefore need to ensure an acceptable standard of living for all our people, but would choose a sustainable path for that development."
Mr. Singh says India will prepare a national plan to tackle issues of climate change by June.
India is the world's fifth largest emitter of greenhouse gases, which many scientists think contributes to global warming. New Delhi has repeatedly rejected demands for specific reduction targets, saying they would hurt its economy. Along with China, India wants Western countries to bear the burden of reducing emissions since they are far larger emitters.
Greenhouse gas emissions come from burning fuels such as oil and coal, and from deforestation. As countries such as India, China and Brazil become industrial powerhouses, their emissions are rising rapidly. By some accounts, China already has the largest emissions, though its per capita figures are well below those to developed nations.
The United States and some other developed countries say that any international agreement to curb global warming by cutting emissions must include the largest developing nations.
Officials from several countries are attending the Delhi Development Sustainable Summit, organized by the Tata Energy Research Institute.
Norway's Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg called for industrialized nations to transfer technology and funds to help developing countries switch to clean technologies.
He said the rich world must play a leading role in reducing the effects of climate change since its emissions are so large.
The conference also heard a fervent appeal from one of the world's tiniest countries for quick action on climate change.
The president of Maldives, Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, says his country is already being hurt by changing weather patterns.
"Our fishermen used to predict local weather and ocean current patterns with some accuracy," said Gayoom. "That is no longer the case. The calendar is no longer able to predict weather patterns accurately in either monsoon. Fishermen therefore go out to sea not knowing when the next severe storm would threaten their boat."
The Maldives, a chain of low-lying islands in the Indian Ocean, could be hit hard if warmer global temperatures melt Arctic ice and raise sea levels.
The International Panel on Climate Change said in its latest report that low-lying islands and coastal regions could be inundated by rising sea levels brought about by rising temperatures.
Source: voanews.comSunday, February 10, 2008
Reference map of Maldives
- Date: 31 Aug 2006
- Source(s):
United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) - Type: Reference - Political
- Keyword(s): Reference
- Format: PDF *, 787k
Earthquake - 5.4 -Mexicali - near Southern Cal border
If you feel it please drop a comment.
Source:
| Magnitude | 5.1 |
|---|---|
| Date-Time |
|
| Location | 32.406°N, 115.293°W |
| Depth | 29.6 km (18.4 miles) |
| Region | BAJA CALIFORNIA, MEXICO |
| Distances |
|
| Location Uncertainty | horizontal +/- 1.1 km (0.7 miles); depth +/- 0.6 km (0.4 miles) |
| Parameters | Nph=046, Dmin=47 km, Rmss=0.36 sec, Gp=212°, M-type=moment magnitude (Mw), Version=O |
| Source | |
| Event ID | ci14346868 |
Source:
PM Vows to Adopt a Responsible and Forward Looking Stance for Sustainable Development at DSDS 2008 Inaugural Ceremony
At the Delhi Sustainable Development Summit 2008, an annual event organized by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), Hon’ able Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, said, “Government of India will adopt a responsible and forward looking stance aimed at promoting sustainable development.” Delivering his inaugural address at the Summit here today, the Prime Minister said that the impact of climate change falls differently on people and the poor are the worst hit. We need technology innovations for reduction of energy use by industry and other user sectors, he added. He further said we need massive action for afforestation, drought proofing, flood protection and the need to protect our coastal areas and glaciers that feed our river systems.
Dr. Singh emphasized the need to ensure an acceptable standard of living for all our people following sustainable path for that development. Climate justice must, therefore, inform all efforts at international collaboration in act of human solidarity, he added.
Finnish Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen, his counterparts from Denmark Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg of Norway and the presidents of Iceland Olafur Ragnar Grimsson and Maldives Maumoon Abdul Gayoom were present at the summit.
Focusing on the theme “Climate Change and Sustainable Development” Dr RK Pachauri, Director General TERI, said that the world has seen a major enhancement of awareness related to climate change which has reached an all time high, resulting largely from the Fourth Assessment Report of the IPCC. It is a result of this awareness that the recent Conference of the Parties concluded on December 15 in Bali has resulted in a firm plan of action at the global level. DSDS 2008 will not only address the various dimensions of climate change and sustainable development but also focus on actions that are required to be taken globally as well as in India.
Agreeing to Dr Pachauri’s remarks, Norway Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg said "The world has to address mitigation in such a way that we do not have to choose between development and environment. We have to have both. We have to create mechanisms for the rich world to transfer technology and financial resources to help mitigation in the developing world otherwise there will not be big enough advances," he said added.
President Gayoom of Maldives was awarded TERI's Sustainable Development Leadership award for 2008 for his pioneering work on alerting the world to climate change. He dedicated the award to the people of Maldives, an island community which was among those most in danger from climate change impacts like rising sea levels, he said.
The Delhi Sustainable Development Summit (DSDS) has now evolved as a major annual event globally which addresses the key challenges of sustainable development and means by which this can be attained.
Source: businesswireindia.com
Dr. Singh emphasized the need to ensure an acceptable standard of living for all our people following sustainable path for that development. Climate justice must, therefore, inform all efforts at international collaboration in act of human solidarity, he added.
Finnish Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen, his counterparts from Denmark Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg of Norway and the presidents of Iceland Olafur Ragnar Grimsson and Maldives Maumoon Abdul Gayoom were present at the summit.
Focusing on the theme “Climate Change and Sustainable Development” Dr RK Pachauri, Director General TERI, said that the world has seen a major enhancement of awareness related to climate change which has reached an all time high, resulting largely from the Fourth Assessment Report of the IPCC. It is a result of this awareness that the recent Conference of the Parties concluded on December 15 in Bali has resulted in a firm plan of action at the global level. DSDS 2008 will not only address the various dimensions of climate change and sustainable development but also focus on actions that are required to be taken globally as well as in India.
Agreeing to Dr Pachauri’s remarks, Norway Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg said "The world has to address mitigation in such a way that we do not have to choose between development and environment. We have to have both. We have to create mechanisms for the rich world to transfer technology and financial resources to help mitigation in the developing world otherwise there will not be big enough advances," he said added.
President Gayoom of Maldives was awarded TERI's Sustainable Development Leadership award for 2008 for his pioneering work on alerting the world to climate change. He dedicated the award to the people of Maldives, an island community which was among those most in danger from climate change impacts like rising sea levels, he said.
The Delhi Sustainable Development Summit (DSDS) has now evolved as a major annual event globally which addresses the key challenges of sustainable development and means by which this can be attained.
Source: businesswireindia.com
Maldiveslive is first time on top three position in Entrecard
Friday, February 8, 2008
Maldives Sees Unexpected Growth in Tourist in 2007 and 2008
The Maldives tourism industry has been experiencing a period of unbridled growth over the 2006-2007 period, and with improved and expanded tourist facilities in the pipeline for 2008, the boom is predicted to continue in the coming year.
An 8.5% increase in the number of visitors to the Maldives was anticipated for 2007, although the actual figure has been recorded as an unprecedented 12.3% rate of growth when compared to 2006, which was also a record year.
The Maldives attracted the majority of their visitors from Europe, with most tourists coming from the UK, Italy, Germany and France; there was also a marked increase, however, in the number of Asian visitors, in particular from Japan and China.
The total bed nights for 2007 were 5,293,224, which represents a 9.7% increase compared with 2006; the average stay per tourist has also shown a slight rise, from 8 days in 2006 to 8.5 in 2007.
Maldives Tourism Promotion Bureau Director General Dr. Abdullah Mausoom said: “2007 was a record breaking year in the history of tourism and we look forward to a similar year in 2008.
"Increased accessibility with greater air transportation and the diversity of the product that is the Maldives have attracted so many tourists into the country.”
Many projects are underway to encourage an even higher number of visitors in 2008.
On January 29th, for example, the Maldives second international airport in Addu atoll had its grand opening; during the ceremony, President Gayoom emphasised that this project would result in a huge boost to the local economy.
The opening of Gan International Airport was compounded by the news that the adjoining Herathere Resort, consisting of 600 beds, was also now ready for business.
To further accommodate the rising number of tourists to the Maldives, another hotel on the Addu Atoll is now under construction, and is due to open by late summer 2008.
The Villigili Resort has been jointly funded by the government and Addu Investment Private Ltd., and upon completion will offer 142 rooms.
Such projects which expand tourist accommodation across the Maldives are much needed at the moment; Dr. Mausoom explains: “Another 3,000 beds are required in order to meet the rising demand of tourist arrivals for this year.”
Source: emerging-market.org
Pearl-Qatar wins praise from Maldives delegation
MALDIVES has evinced interest in the Pearl-Qatar, a multi-billion dollar offshore island and one of the largest real estate development projects in the energy-rich Gulf peninsula.
“We wanted to meet the developers in order to discuss the structuring of the project, its development, as well as potential opportunities for investments in the Maldives,” said Mohamed Jaleel, minister of economic development and trade of the island nation in the Indian Ocean.
The Pearl-Qatar on Monday hosted a ministerial delegation from Maldives for an extensive project presentation.
The visit is one of regularly scheduled weekly tours extended to high-profile investors, government officials and business figures from around the world.
The other members in the Maldivian delegation were Minister of Finance and Treasury Qasim Ibrahim; Minister of Construction and Public Infrastructure Mohamed Mauroof Jameel; executive director of the Ministry of Finance and Treasury Hamdhy Ageel; Deputy Minister of Economic Development and Trade Abdulla Salih and assistant director general of Foreign Investment Services Bureau Yusuf Riza.
Top officials of the United Development Company (UDC), owner and developer of The Pearl-Qatar, welcomed the delegates.
The team went around the Oyster (sales and marketing centre of the Pearl-Qatar), where they got a comprehensive view of how the project would look like by 2011.
“The way the villas and townhouses have been structured shows individualism and respect for privacy, two ideal lifestyles people are looking for,” Jaleel said.
The diversity of the (Pearl) island from high populated areas to more dispersed areas made it a much better concept than the comparable projects in the region, Jameel said.
Highlighting that the island has been attracting investment interest from around the world, Pearl-Qatar sales manager Salim Abdul-Rahim said the project was set to become an icon in the Qatari economy.
Source: gulf-times.com
The Maldives Tourism Promotion Board showcases its stunning island resorts at the 2008 Bride Show in Abu Dhabi
The Maldives Tourism Promotion Board's presence at this year's Bride Show represents a commitment from the tourism authority to market the Maldives Islands direct to consumer.
Exhibiting for the first time at a consumer exhibition in the Gulf region, the Maldives Tourism Promotion Board is showcasing a range of beautiful island resorts which will appeal to both GCC nationals and expatriate residents living in the region.
Already popular with honeymooners from all over the World, the Maldives attracts visitors who are in search of peace and tranquillity in an island paradise setting. With luxury hotels and resorts, award-winning Spa's and probably the best snorkelling, fishing and scuba diving in the world, the Maldives offers a unique, unforgettable experience.
The Maldives is a relatively new leisure destination for the Gulf Region and the tourism board is now placing greater emphasis on driving destination awareness. The islands are easily accessible from the Arabian Gulf with a short flight time of around four hours. With daily flights from Emirates, Qatar Airways and Sri Lankan Airlines, as well as twice-weekly flights from low cost airline Jazeera Airways, the consumer choice continues to grow. Today, consumers have the opportunity of planning their own honeymoon or holiday online or they can rely upon the expert tour operators and travel agencies who can develop the perfect honeymoon or holiday package, catering to the individual needs of the traveller.
The Maldives is currently the ultimate getaway for those who are attracted by private islands, stunning beaches and crystal clear waters. The Maldives provides the perfect backdrop for a relaxing, rejuvenating holiday, which is a welcome contrast to the frantic pace of life in the Arabian Gulf.
Mohammed Adam, Deputy Director, Maldives Tourism Promotion Board said.
'We are very pleased to be exhibiting at the Bride Show in Abu Dhabi. We understand that UAE nationals pay great attention to planning their wedding and honeymoon. We offer one of the most romantic destinations in the World and over the four days of the show, we will be talking to consumers about what makes the Maldives Islands so special.'
The weather in the Maldives is consistent year-round. With temperatures ranging from 25-32c and refreshing tropical rains, the lush green islands are a welcome change from the dry, arid desert of the Arabian Gulf. Today, travellers from the GCC account for a small part of the current total visitor numbers to the islands. However, with visitors assured of a warm welcome, with no visa restrictions, amazing scenic beauty and luxury hospitality services, the destination is ready to attract many more visitors from the Gulf region.
Source: ameinfo.com
Exhibiting for the first time at a consumer exhibition in the Gulf region, the Maldives Tourism Promotion Board is showcasing a range of beautiful island resorts which will appeal to both GCC nationals and expatriate residents living in the region.
Already popular with honeymooners from all over the World, the Maldives attracts visitors who are in search of peace and tranquillity in an island paradise setting. With luxury hotels and resorts, award-winning Spa's and probably the best snorkelling, fishing and scuba diving in the world, the Maldives offers a unique, unforgettable experience.
The Maldives is a relatively new leisure destination for the Gulf Region and the tourism board is now placing greater emphasis on driving destination awareness. The islands are easily accessible from the Arabian Gulf with a short flight time of around four hours. With daily flights from Emirates, Qatar Airways and Sri Lankan Airlines, as well as twice-weekly flights from low cost airline Jazeera Airways, the consumer choice continues to grow. Today, consumers have the opportunity of planning their own honeymoon or holiday online or they can rely upon the expert tour operators and travel agencies who can develop the perfect honeymoon or holiday package, catering to the individual needs of the traveller.
The Maldives is currently the ultimate getaway for those who are attracted by private islands, stunning beaches and crystal clear waters. The Maldives provides the perfect backdrop for a relaxing, rejuvenating holiday, which is a welcome contrast to the frantic pace of life in the Arabian Gulf.
Mohammed Adam, Deputy Director, Maldives Tourism Promotion Board said.
'We are very pleased to be exhibiting at the Bride Show in Abu Dhabi. We understand that UAE nationals pay great attention to planning their wedding and honeymoon. We offer one of the most romantic destinations in the World and over the four days of the show, we will be talking to consumers about what makes the Maldives Islands so special.'
The weather in the Maldives is consistent year-round. With temperatures ranging from 25-32c and refreshing tropical rains, the lush green islands are a welcome change from the dry, arid desert of the Arabian Gulf. Today, travellers from the GCC account for a small part of the current total visitor numbers to the islands. However, with visitors assured of a warm welcome, with no visa restrictions, amazing scenic beauty and luxury hospitality services, the destination is ready to attract many more visitors from the Gulf region.
Source: ameinfo.com
The Maldives Tourism Promotion Board showcases its stunning island resorts at the 2008 Bride Show in Abu Dhabi
The Maldives Tourism Promotion Board's presence at this year's Bride Show represents a commitment from the tourism authority to market the Maldives Islands direct to consumer.
Exhibiting for the first time at a consumer exhibition in the Gulf region, the Maldives Tourism Promotion Board is showcasing a range of beautiful island resorts which will appeal to both GCC nationals and expatriate residents living in the region.
Already popular with honeymooners from all over the World, the Maldives attracts visitors who are in search of peace and tranquillity in an island paradise setting. With luxury hotels and resorts, award-winning Spa's and probably the best snorkelling, fishing and scuba diving in the world, the Maldives offers a unique, unforgettable experience.
The Maldives is a relatively new leisure destination for the Gulf Region and the tourism board is now placing greater emphasis on driving destination awareness. The islands are easily accessible from the Arabian Gulf with a short flight time of around four hours. With daily flights from Emirates, Qatar Airways and Sri Lankan Airlines, as well as twice-weekly flights from low cost airline Jazeera Airways, the consumer choice continues to grow. Today, consumers have the opportunity of planning their own honeymoon or holiday online or they can rely upon the expert tour operators and travel agencies who can develop the perfect honeymoon or holiday package, catering to the individual needs of the traveller.
The Maldives is currently the ultimate getaway for those who are attracted by private islands, stunning beaches and crystal clear waters. The Maldives provides the perfect backdrop for a relaxing, rejuvenating holiday, which is a welcome contrast to the frantic pace of life in the Arabian Gulf.
Mohammed Adam, Deputy Director, Maldives Tourism Promotion Board said.
'We are very pleased to be exhibiting at the Bride Show in Abu Dhabi. We understand that UAE nationals pay great attention to planning their wedding and honeymoon. We offer one of the most romantic destinations in the World and over the four days of the show, we will be talking to consumers about what makes the Maldives Islands so special.'
The weather in the Maldives is consistent year-round. With temperatures ranging from 25-32c and refreshing tropical rains, the lush green islands are a welcome change from the dry, arid desert of the Arabian Gulf. Today, travellers from the GCC account for a small part of the current total visitor numbers to the islands. However, with visitors assured of a warm welcome, with no visa restrictions, amazing scenic beauty and luxury hospitality services, the destination is ready to attract many more visitors from the Gulf region.
Source: ameinfo.com
Exhibiting for the first time at a consumer exhibition in the Gulf region, the Maldives Tourism Promotion Board is showcasing a range of beautiful island resorts which will appeal to both GCC nationals and expatriate residents living in the region.
Already popular with honeymooners from all over the World, the Maldives attracts visitors who are in search of peace and tranquillity in an island paradise setting. With luxury hotels and resorts, award-winning Spa's and probably the best snorkelling, fishing and scuba diving in the world, the Maldives offers a unique, unforgettable experience.
The Maldives is a relatively new leisure destination for the Gulf Region and the tourism board is now placing greater emphasis on driving destination awareness. The islands are easily accessible from the Arabian Gulf with a short flight time of around four hours. With daily flights from Emirates, Qatar Airways and Sri Lankan Airlines, as well as twice-weekly flights from low cost airline Jazeera Airways, the consumer choice continues to grow. Today, consumers have the opportunity of planning their own honeymoon or holiday online or they can rely upon the expert tour operators and travel agencies who can develop the perfect honeymoon or holiday package, catering to the individual needs of the traveller.
The Maldives is currently the ultimate getaway for those who are attracted by private islands, stunning beaches and crystal clear waters. The Maldives provides the perfect backdrop for a relaxing, rejuvenating holiday, which is a welcome contrast to the frantic pace of life in the Arabian Gulf.
Mohammed Adam, Deputy Director, Maldives Tourism Promotion Board said.
'We are very pleased to be exhibiting at the Bride Show in Abu Dhabi. We understand that UAE nationals pay great attention to planning their wedding and honeymoon. We offer one of the most romantic destinations in the World and over the four days of the show, we will be talking to consumers about what makes the Maldives Islands so special.'
The weather in the Maldives is consistent year-round. With temperatures ranging from 25-32c and refreshing tropical rains, the lush green islands are a welcome change from the dry, arid desert of the Arabian Gulf. Today, travellers from the GCC account for a small part of the current total visitor numbers to the islands. However, with visitors assured of a warm welcome, with no visa restrictions, amazing scenic beauty and luxury hospitality services, the destination is ready to attract many more visitors from the Gulf region.
Source: ameinfo.com
Sri Lanka Aitken Spence to run Oman hotels
Sri Lanka's Aitken Spence, a top leisure group that also runs resorts in the Maldives and India, said it had inked a deal to operate four hotels of Oman Hotels and Tourism Company (OHTC).
Al Falaj and Ruwi Hotels in Muscat, Al Wadi in Sohar and Sur Plaza in Sur would add 406 rooms to its portfolio, the company said in a statement.
The properties are now managed by OHTC.
"Aitken Spence will be submitting a plan to the board of OHTC to improve the four properties and to position them to exploit the emergent tourism climate in the region," Aitken Spence chairman Harry Jayawardena said in the statement.
Aitken Spence, a part of Jayawardena's Stassen's group, says it was the first Sri Lankan hotel company to enter the Maldives in 1993 and India in 2007.
In first half of the current financial year most of Aitken Spence's leisure profits came from Maldives and it lost money in Sri Lanka which has been hit by an internal conflict. December quarter numbers are expected any day.
In India the group already runs two hotels under management contracts and five more are due to start.
"Management contracts are probably the best way to approach a new market," says Channa Amaratunga of Boston Capital, a boutique investment house.
"You don't have the burden of ownership, so the return on equity is high. Middle East is one of the fastest growing markets in the World."
In a report last month the World Tourism Organization said Middle East tourism grew 13 percent in 2007 with 46 million arrivals despite conflicts, followed by Asia-Pacific which grew 10 percent and Africa 8 percent. Saudi Arabia and Egypt led the growth.
"Given the buoyant economic conditions and the importance given to hospitality industry by the Government in the Sultanate, our company sees a bright future in the coming years," M Hameed, chairman OHTC was said.
"In order to optimize the economic yield from these opportunities and to professionalise its service offering, our company has entered into a management agreement with Aitken Spence to manage its four properties."
Aitken Spence runs operates 10 resort hotels in Sri Lanka. It says it is the fourth largest in the Maldives with eight resorts operated under the Adaaran brand.
The company's premium grade resorts operate under the brand Heritance.
Source:Thursday, February 7, 2008
Anantara Resorts Announces Appointment of Dominik Ruhl As General Manager of Anantara Maldives
Anantara Resorts, a leading hospitality and leisure organization in the Asia-Pacific region, has announced the appointment of Dominik Ruhl to the position of General Manager of Anantara Resort Maldives.
Dominik, a German native, commenced his career in Hawaii in a Guest Services role at the renowned Ritz Carlton Kapalua prior to joining the Four Seasons Resort, Punta Mita, Mexico in the position of Front Office Manager. Following a successful career in the Americas, he took on senior management roles in the Maldives including Director of Operations at the Hilton Maldives Resorts & Spa (now Conrad).
Prior to joining Anantara’s luxury resort in Maldives, he held the position of Area General Manager of Per Aquum Resorts overseeing operations in the Caribbean.
As General Manager of Anantara Resort Maldives, Dominik will be coordinating and managing the day-to-day running of the 110-room luxury property which opened in September 2006
“I am delighted to be at the helm of Anantara Resort Maldives and will ensure that the hotel continues to enhance the Maldives reputation as a premier luxury destination” commented Ruhl.
Michael Sagild, COO of Minor International added 'We are very pleased to welcome Dominik on board the management team at Anantara Resort Maldives. Dominik brings with him a seasoned perspective on luxury and service and his outstanding leadership qualities will be an asset to our dedicated and enthusiastic team.”
Anantara is taken from an ancient Sanskrit word that means 'borderless water', a name chosen for this element’s association in many Asian cultures with wealth and good fortune. Inspired by local architecture and sensitive to the indigenous culture, Anantara Resorts are currently located in the seaside town of Hua Hin (220kms south of Bangkok), on Koh Samui in the Gulf of Thailand and in the Golden Triangle in the country’s north. In the world-renowned destination of the Maldives, Anantara Resort Maldives is a 30 minute boat ride from the capital Male. The newest member of the Anantara family, Anantara Resort Seminyak, will open at the early of 2008 in this most fashionable district of Bali – the Island of the Gods.Source: etravelblackboard.com
Anantara Resorts Announces Appointment of Dominik Ruhl As General Manager of Anantara Maldives
Anantara Resorts, a leading hospitality and leisure organization in the Asia-Pacific region, has announced the appointment of Dominik Ruhl to the position of General Manager of Anantara Resort Maldives.
Dominik, a German native, commenced his career in Hawaii in a Guest Services role at the renowned Ritz Carlton Kapalua prior to joining the Four Seasons Resort, Punta Mita, Mexico in the position of Front Office Manager. Following a successful career in the Americas, he took on senior management roles in the Maldives including Director of Operations at the Hilton Maldives Resorts & Spa (now Conrad).
Prior to joining Anantara’s luxury resort in Maldives, he held the position of Area General Manager of Per Aquum Resorts overseeing operations in the Caribbean.
As General Manager of Anantara Resort Maldives, Dominik will be coordinating and managing the day-to-day running of the 110-room luxury property which opened in September 2006
“I am delighted to be at the helm of Anantara Resort Maldives and will ensure that the hotel continues to enhance the Maldives reputation as a premier luxury destination” commented Ruhl.
Michael Sagild, COO of Minor International added 'We are very pleased to welcome Dominik on board the management team at Anantara Resort Maldives. Dominik brings with him a seasoned perspective on luxury and service and his outstanding leadership qualities will be an asset to our dedicated and enthusiastic team.”
Anantara is taken from an ancient Sanskrit word that means 'borderless water', a name chosen for this element’s association in many Asian cultures with wealth and good fortune. Inspired by local architecture and sensitive to the indigenous culture, Anantara Resorts are currently located in the seaside town of Hua Hin (220kms south of Bangkok), on Koh Samui in the Gulf of Thailand and in the Golden Triangle in the country’s north. In the world-renowned destination of the Maldives, Anantara Resort Maldives is a 30 minute boat ride from the capital Male. The newest member of the Anantara family, Anantara Resort Seminyak, will open at the early of 2008 in this most fashionable district of Bali – the Island of the Gods.Source: etravelblackboard.com
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Wataniya in business with Palestinian Authority, not Israel
Yesterday Fuad Al-Ablani, Wataniya Telecom's Deputy General Manager, denied reports claiming Wataniya won Israeli frequencies to operate in the Palestinian territories. He said of the erroneous reports of Israeli-Wataniya business dealings, "That is totally categorically not true. I repeat, what has been reported in the local newspapers is 100 percent not true." Al-Ablani emphatically stated, "All of our dealings are with the Palestinian Authority, not Israel.
Speaking to reporters at Kuwait's International Fair Grounds, Al-Ablani said, "The license that Wataniya has won is fair and international. It was licensed to operate a mobile operation within the territories that are governed by the Palestinian Authority. This is very clear in the conditions of the license." He further stressed the fact that, "The media was well aware of it.
Al-Ablani noted that Wataniya, as a Kuwaiti company, is "very interested in upgrading the infrastructure within the Palestinian Authorities." He further stressed that, "It is part of our role as an Arab country. Kuwait is one of the most stringent countries with regards to boycotting Israel.
Wataniya Telecom, which was the first privately owned telecom in Kuwait, was founded in 1999. Last March, Kuwait Projects Company Holding Company KSC (KIPCO) sold 51 percent of Wataniya to Qatar Telecom. Qtel is the only telecom provider in Qatar and is expanding in the Middle East and North African region, currently operating in 10 countries. Wataniya Telecom currently operates in Algeria, Iraq, Kuwait, the Maldives, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, and Tunisia and is committed to its expansion in the MENA region
.
Yesterday, Wataniya launched its newest service, the WCam at Kuwait's International Fair Grounds in Mishref. The WCam is a unique camera device which enables customers to call from their 3G mobile phones from anywhere within the Wataniya 3G coverage area and be connected to their WCam which must be set up within the Wataniya 3G coverage area.
The connection is a live audio and video feed via the WCam. Whether checking in on the children at home or on a live video conference with a branch office, the WCam fully connects people. General Manager cum Chief Executive Officer of Wataniya Telecom Scott Gelgeinheimer said of the WCam, "We are proud to be the first operator in Kuwait to launch this kind of service." He noted, "It is a great solution that caters to the needs of customers with a busy lifestyle who need to keep an eye on things that matter
to them the most.
Convenience and privacy are key to the WCam's appeal, "We look at helping our customers to have a convenient life, therefore we've developed the WCam as being a typical solution to achieve this goal," said Gelgeinheimer. "The camera is very secure and is only accessible by pin code," said Wataniya Public Relations Manager Abdulaziz Al-Ballool . There is an option allowing the user to approve a wide list of people who are allowed access to the WCam.
Al-Ballool noted that multiple people may use the pin code making it a family friendly device. Addressing the possibility of the camera being hidden, Al Ballool said, "It is very visible (about the size of a baseball)." making it difficult to hide. Features of the device include a zoom in and zoom out capability, volume control, a recording option, and night vision access. The unit price, including service for one year is KD 99 at 75 fils per minute with a second year of service for KD 27 per month.
Al-Ablani said of the fiber optic cables recently damaged in the Mediterranean Sea causing days of glitches in Internet services to Kuwait and much of the Gulf, North Africa, and parts of Asia, "Most companies which provide Internet services through the cable have been affected and we are not isolated.
Source: kuwaittimes.net
Foreign Ministry staff with diplomatic passports to have their luggage checked
Maldives Customs Service officials have been instructed to check the luggage of officials from the Foreign Ministry who had been issued diplomatic passports, Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid has said on Monday.
In an interview with Haveeru, the Foreign Minister said that the decision had been taken last Saturday in order to dismiss suspicions on the Ministry’s officials, to avoid scandal and to preserve their good reputation.
“We’ve opened missions in many countries,” he said. “As the number of missions increases so will the number of staff who holds diplomatic passports. There are many emissaries and diplomatic staff and many times we’ve gotten a bad name just because our staff had diplomatic passports. In reality, none of our staff would try to smuggle in anything illegal into the country; that is true. But because they had diplomatic passports they are automatically placed under suspicion.”
The Minister said that he didn’t believe that the Maldivian Customs and Immigration should give any special privileges to those who held diplomatic passports. He also said that the decision had been made after discussing the matter with other staff and foreign emissaries.
“They should get the special privileges when they go to other countries only,” said the Foreign Minister. “I believe that whether you owned a red-passport or a green one you should have your luggage checked. Even my own luggage should be checked.”
In addition to senior officials of the Foreign Ministry and Diplomatic Missions, the President of the Maldives, the First Lady, their children, grandchildren and their in-laws, Ministers and their wives, Ministers of State, senior officials who have served the Government for a long time, emissaries and their wives, all own the red-coloured diplomatic passports. Senior officials of Government offices, Members of the People’s Majlis and Special Majlis, own the green-coloured Official Passport.
Source: haveeru.com.mv
Monday, February 4, 2008
Allen dumped by boyfriend
Boyfriend Ed Simons has dumped British singer Lily Allen following her miscarriage.
Allen was devastated after losing their unborn child, and the couple went on a holiday to the Maldives to deal with the grief. But they could not work through their problems and Simons decided to end the relationship, reports said.
A friend of Allen said, "They tried to make things work but couldn't. The miscarriage was a horrible experience for both of them and in recent weeks the mood between them had been really strained. Lily is really upset things haven't worked out for her and Ed. She had talked about settling down for good and having a family."
Source: ndtvmusic.com
Islamic extremism in the Maldives: Is Gayoom the cause?
By Asif Fuard
As the Maldives sinks deeper into political turmoil with President Mamoon Abdul Gayoom and his political opponents engaged in a bitter clash over reforms, the country is also witnessing the emergence of Islamic extremism. The President, who many call a dictator, survived an assassination attempt recently. The attack came a few months after a bomb went off near a popular park and police battled extremists in an island. These events have prompted the government to take steps to combat the threat of Islamic extremism.
Members of a little known group have taken up arms to defend themselves and promote their version of Islam - Wahhabism -- in the archipelago. The Maldivians say the leaders of the group were educated in Pakistan and West Asian countries and their version of Islam conflicts with the version of Islam stipulated by Maldivian law, according to which preaching of different versions of Islam is a crime.
Reports say India's intelligence arm, Research Analysis Wing, has received information that Maldivian Islamic extremists are purchasing weapons from Indian criminal and terrorist groups while other reports indicate that they were also buying weapons from Indonesia and Pakistan.
These reports also say that Sri Lanka is being used as a transit point in the arms smuggling operation. It is against this backdrop, a few months ago, Sri Lanka and the Maldives signed a memorandum of understanding on intelligence sharing.
Opposition parties blame President Gayoom for the rise of extremism. Gayoom has been ruling this Indian Ocean archipelago for nearly three decades. Of late, he has come under severe criticism from within the country and abroad for the mounting corruption, human rights abuses and social ills such as the growing problem of youth addiction to narcotics amidst a high rate of unemployment.
The opposition's view is backed by research conducted by the New Delhi-based Institute of Defence Studies and Analyses focusing on the Maldives and Pakistan. The research shows that people resort to extremism when they are faced with a non-democratic political system.
On January 8, a boy scout foiled an assassination attempt on the President's life when he grabbed the assassin's knife, saving the executive from death. The assassin, 20-year-old Mohamed Murshid, unemployed and having no previous criminal record, attempted to attack the President when he visited, Hoarafushi in the north of the Maldives.
Earlier a homemade bomb exploded in the capital city of Male on September 29 last year in what was said to be the country's first act of terrorism after the failed attempt by a Sri Lankan mercenary group hired by wealthy Maldivian to overthrow the President in 1988.
Information Minister Mohamed Nasheed told a news conference that the perpetrators might have had extremist connections."Investigations into the September attack showed that there was fundamentalist thinking behind it," he said. In December, three men convicted of carrying out the September bombing were jailed for 15 years. Although the government may have been worried after reports linked some of the suspects to Kashmiri groups, they have since then taken measures to combat extremism in the island.
The government had taken steps to promote moderate thinking through education and banned the traditional Islamic veil in public places, offices, courts, and educational establishments, Minister Nasheed said. He said the government had also banned Muslim religious gatherings unless permission was obtained.
Foreign clerics too have been banned by the government, because it fears they can promote fundamentalism."We do not have madrassas or religious schools, like you see in Pakistan, from where militant thinking comes in," Minister Nasheed said. "In this country, fundamentalism is not spread through teachings."
It is spread by a handful of clerics, according to analysts. The rise of extremism is a threat to the country's tourism industry, one of the pillars of the small island nation's economy. Gayoom has ruled the islands since Nov. 11, 1978, and in recent years has strongly defended the presidential form of government, as opposed to the parliamentary system, which is promoted by the main opposition, the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP).
The founder for the MDP, Mohammed Latheef, told The Sunday Times the Egyptian-educated Gayoom is the father of the country's extremism as it was he who had brought the Wahhabi (Islam practised in Saudi Arabia) thinking into the country. "Soon after becoming President, he opened the first Islamic schools. Religious scholars from Egypt were brought to 'enlighten' the Maldivians during the month of Ramadan.
“ Some even shocked the moderate Muslim community by preaching men could beat their wives. School textbooks were revised to follow the dictator's version of Islam. Islam is used as a tool of governance in the Maldives and its people are tired of it," he said.
"There is no rule of law or checks and balances in the system of governance in the Maldives. The judiciary, the legislature and the security forces revolve around a single individual who runs the country. “In a state which has no governance one can expect such incidents taking place," he said.
Source: sundaytimes.lk
Chinese plan overseas Lunar New Year holidays
More than 30 percent of Chinese tourists who plan to go abroad during the Spring Festival are likely to head to France, with Britain and Australia also popular.
These findings are from a joint survey by market information provider Nielson and Ctrip.com, a domestic tourism company.
For the precious "golden week holidays" that start on Feb. 7, more than 40 percent of the 3,000 netizens interviewed said that they planned to travel.
Although the majority favored domestic tours, such as shopping trips to Hong Kong and Macao, overseas travel was on the rise, Ctrip's Wu Jiaoli said. "Southeast Asian countries and the islands, such as Bali and the Maldives, are also very popular," she said.
On average, the prospective tourists were prepared to spend 6,444 yuan (about 895 U.S. dollars) per person for their holiday trip.
China recently reduced the one-week May holiday to three days, which was expected to boost travel during the other two long national holidays. However, the number of outgoing Chinese during the Spring Festival did not seem to be significantly higher, said Sun Changwei, manager of China CYTS Tours. "There would be natural growth, but that's all." he said.
Source: news.xinhuanet.com
An Unloved New Island in Maldives
A group of Maldivians disembark from a ferry at Hulhumale jetty, Hulhumale, Maldives, Friday, Jan. 11, 2008. With a desperately overcrowded capital hemmed in on an island, the Maldives thought it had a can't-miss solution: build another island. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)
Running out of space in its crowded capital, this republic of 1,200 islands thought it had a can't-miss solution: build another island.
Planners weren't discouraged when people started eating the freshly planted palm saplings, or called the new island an ugly misfit among the picture-perfect beaches of their Indian Ocean archipelago. One day, they told themselves, the new island called Hulhumale would have it all: leafy streets, an artificial beach, a marina for megayachts, a luxury hotel and an entertainment strip. [Read More from ABC News]
Saturday, February 2, 2008
SAARC should also focus on energy, environment and food security
Foreign Minister Inamul Haq said on Friday that the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) should focus on new projects of energy, environment, and food and water security, in addition to its ongoing programmes. SAARC aims to accelerate the process of economic and social development in its seven member states – Pakistan Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka. At a meeting with SAARC Secretary General Chankyab Dorji, who is on his farewell visit to Pakistan, Haq called SAARC a “viable mechanism for the promotion of peace, development and progress”. He said the association must establish itself as a credible regional organisation and evolve concrete programmes to reflect the aspirations of the people of the region. Dorji praised the valuable contribution of Pakistan in making SAARC a success. He also met Foreign Secretary Riaz Muhammad Khan on Friday and discussed the implementation of SAARC’s major decisions with him. Dorji told Khan about achievements SAARC made under him, including holding of two summits, expansion of the association to include Afghanistan and grant of observer status to the United States, European Union and China. app
Source: dailytimes.com.pk
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